Kevin Spacey found not guilty of sexual assault charges

Kevin Spacey was charged with sexual offences against four men

Kevin Spacey outside Southwark Crown Court
Author: Chris MaskeryPublished 26th Jul 2023
Last updated 26th Jul 2023

Actor Kevin Spacey has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting four men.

The 64-year-old Oscar-winner had been on trial at Southwark Crown Court accused of sexually assaulting four men in the period between 2001 and 2013.

Spacey had tears in his eyes when, after 12 hours and 26 minutes, the jury acquitted him of nine sexual offences.

The trial of Kevin Spacey

The Hollywood star, standing trial under his full name Kevin Spacey Fowler, was labelled a “sexual bully” when proceedings began last month.

The 63-year-old denied nine charges including sexual assault, which are alleged to have been committed between 2001 and 2013.

Mr Justice Mark Wall sent jurors out to consider their verdicts on Monday.

Over the course of the trial at Southwark Crown Court, each of Spacey’s four accusers have given evidence, variously describing him as a “vile sexual predator”, “slippery” and “atrocious, despicable, disgusting”.

Jurors have been told of alleged “aggressive” crotch grabs against three men, while a fourth complainant accused the defendant of having drugged him and performing a sex act on him while he was asleep at his flat.

Under questioning from Spacey’s lawyer, Patrick Gibbs KC, the men all denied either seeking financial gain, attempting to further their career or giving false accounts to the jury.

Spacey himself labelled the allegations against him as “madness” and a “stab in the back”, and told jurors he “did not have a power wand that I waved in front of people’s faces whenever I wanted someone to go to bed with me”.

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